Canadian Armed Forces contribute expertise to multinational exercise in Ukraine

Canadian Armed Forces contribute expertise to multinational exercise in Ukraine

July 20, 2015

OTTAWA – Fifteen members of the Canadian Armed Forces are participating in Exercise SABER GUARDIAN / RAPID TRIDENT 15, a multinational exercise at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Yavoriv, Ukraine, from July 17 to 31, 2015.

Exercise SABER GUARDIAN / RAPID TRIDENT 15 is designed to support allied and partner nations and focuses on improving stability and peace support operations in Central and Eastern Europe. In addition to Canada, exercise participants include Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Quick Facts

Canadian Army personnel will use expertise in Counter Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) operations gained through experience in Afghanistan to contribute to SABER GUARDIAN / RAPID TRIDENT 15.

Nine Canadian Army C-IED instructors from 4 Engineer Support Regiment, supported by a medic from the Canadian Forces Health Services Group, will hone the skills and knowledge of participating soldiers’ C-IED methods and techniques in support of stability operations.

In partnership with several other nations, four officers and one non-commissioned member from the Canadian Army Headquarters and 5th Canadian Division Headquarters are occupying staff positions in the exercise’s Multinational Brigade Headquarters and Exercise Control Group. They are providing mentorship and support to Ukrainian officers in command positions.

The exercise helps prepare participants to operate successfully in a joint, multinational, integrated environment with host-nation support from civil and governmental agencies. The exercise supports Ukraine’s Annual National Program to achieve interoperability with NATO.

When approximately 200 Canadian Armed Forces personnel begin their mission later this summer to train Ukrainian government forces, they will build on successful Canadian participation in SABER GUARDIAN / RAPID TRIDENT 15.